I’m back stateside after my fantastic trip to England (not a very frugalicious place to travel, by the way…the exchange rate kills you!). And I made it back just in time for Orange County Restaurant Week. Through Saturday, participating restaurants are offering prix-fixe lunches for $10, $15, or $20, or prix-fixe dinners for $20, $30, or $40. Yes, $20 for lunch or $40 for dinner is still pretty steep, but Orange County Restaurant Week gives diners a chance to get a three-course meal at some very nice restaurants. However, I would strongly advise would-be diners to check out the restaurant menus posted on the Restaurant Week website. At some restaurants, you might not end up saving any money at all (ahem, I’m talking to you, Crow Bar and Kitchen). Still, if you’ve always wanted to try, say, Michael Mina’s Stonehill Tavern, now’s the time!

After our jaunt overseas, Mr. Frugalicious and I can’t afford to dine out very often, but we have decided to splurge on a meal at Savannah Chop House on Saturday night. I’ve never been, but I like the supper club vibe of the place. And for $30 each, we get a complete three-course meal–starter, entree, and dessert–PLUS a glass of house wine. Not bad for a place where entrees usually run anywhere from $16 to $32.

Have you been to any of the restaurants that are participating in Restaurant Week? What did you think? How do you save money when you want to go out for a nice meal?